High expectations were placed on the Ghanaian national team even before the tournament started, to go all the way to lifting the cup come 10 February. This already gives sets them as favourites to win tonight’s match against DR. Congo, who used to be a force to be reckoned with more than three decades ago while they were still called Zaire – an ancient history that is not going to give any of their opposition the creeps in today’s football.
But, despite that and the bonuses saga that rocked the DRC camp, which saw players go on strike and their coach tend in his resignation which the players rejected, Ghana will need to be wary as it may not be an easy walk in the park as most may want to believe.
Not only does the fact that they are going into this match as underdogs lessens the pressure on them, but they have a very astute coach, French coach Claude Le Roy. Even better, Le Roy is a former Ghanaian national team coach himself and knows one or two things about the quality of the players he will be coming up against.
Le Roy, with his philosophy of letting African talent flourish, has proven himself to be one of very few progressive coaches on the African continent. With quality players like Anderlecht striker Dieumerci Mbokani in his team, Ghana would be doomed to underestimate the Congolese team.
The Black Stars do have the potential to go all the way. They have invested a lot in developing their football and that has so far paid off with the team having come very close to reaching the semifinals of the World Cup in 2010 and also reaching the semifinals of the Afcon tournament last year.
They will miss some of their experienced players like Kevin-Prince Boateng, who has retired, Sulley Muntari, who is out of favour, John Mensah and Andre Ayew, who are injured.
– By Sipho Kekana
